2026年国际宠物杂志报告（3月刊）-

PETSInternational

THEGO-TOPUBLICATIONFORPETINDUSTRYPROFESSIONALSSINCE1988

MAR2026

UNPACKING

THEUSAND

CANADIAN

PETMARKETS

M&AOUTLOOK

Whatdoesthisyearhaveinstore?

RATETHISPRODUCT

Assessingthevalueofonlinereviews

INTHESWIM

Thestateofthe

Europeanaquaticsindustry

INSIDETHISISSUE

08

Buildingaprofile

Insightsintotoday’sCanadianpetowners–whotheyare,

whattheyvalueandhowtheycarefortheirbelovedcompanions.

41

Thinking

outsidethebox

Astheuseof

automaticsolutionsincreases,themarketisrespondingby

creatinginnovativecatlitters.

29

Jointeffort

Catsarelivinglonger

lives,offeringplentiful

opportunitiesfor

innovationandgrowthinthesupplementsegment.

Channelsurfing

Asuccessful

omnichannelstrategymusttakeaccount

ofeachmedium‘s

relativestrengths.

50

Andmore:

Industryinterview:PetValu’sLindaDrysdale13

Compareandcontrast:USandCanadianbuyinghabits22

Proteincontentinpetfood26

Additives:whatdoestheevidencesay?37

HowtoapproachAmazonvendornegotiations56

Standingupforwildlife71

Anoceanofpossibilities

DivingintothecurrentstateoftheEuropean

aquaticsmarket.

67

PETSINTERNATIONAL|MARCH2026

PREMUM

AGE

30v

superpremiumcollagen,designedtostandout.

collagenplusfunctionalingredients:tapioca,resveratrol,vitamincandessentialminerals.

Interzoo2026

VISITUSAT

Hall5BoothNumber5-347

Lovedbyd。gschosenbyd。gl。vers

PREMUMPRDUCT

pet·U.p'

Www.petsup.Co.uk/inf@petsup.Co.uk

PETSINTERNATIONAL|MARCH2026

Buildingtrustinadigitalworld

Itcomesasnosurprisethattheonlineenvironmentisincreasinglyshapingourday-to-daybusiness.

Itsinfluencecontinuestogrow,particularlyfor

smallandmedium-sizedcompaniesthatmust

competeeverydaytocaptureconsumers’attentioninanevermorecrowdedmarket.

Inthisissue,weexplorethegrowingroleofonlinereviewsandhowtheycanserveasapowerful

leverforpetplayers.Afive-starratingcan

significantlystrengthenabrand’scredibility,whilenegativefeedbackmayquicklyredirectconsumerstoacompetitor.Understanding,managingand

strategicallyleveragingonlinereputationhasbecomeessential.

However,astrongdigitalpresencealoneisnotusuallyenoughformostcompaniestothrive.

Successtodayrequiresbalancingonlinevisibilitywitharobustofflineandomnichannelstrategy.

WetakeacloserlookathowpetretailersacrossEuropeandtheUSareintroducingnewbrandsintotheirassortments,andhowpetplayerscanrefineandoptimizetheirchannelstrategiestoremaincompetitiveandrelevant.

Thiseditionalsooffersanin-depthanalysisof

thepetindustryintheUSandCanada.Our

comprehensivecoverageexaminespetownershiptrends,consumerbehavioracrosswetanddryfoodcategories,andincludesinsightsfromprominent

retailersintheregion.

Wishingyouaninspiringread.

DavidPalaciosRubioEditor-in-Chief

“

Don’tbeafraidtogiveupthegoodtogoforthegreat.”

JOHND.ROCKEFELLER,USBUSINESSMANANDPHILANTHROPIST

©Copyright2026,IntermediumPublishersBV.Allrightsreserved.

Whilewe,asthepublisher,aimforaccuracyandcompletenessintheinformationandstatistics

presented,wecannotguaranteethat.Wecannotbeheldliableforanyuseofthisinformation.

Thepublisherisnotresponsibleforthecontentofadvertisementsorsponsorededitorial.

Editorialteam

ManagingDirector:PhilippeVanderhoydonck

Editor-in-Chief:DavidPalaciosRubio

HeadofOperations:LisavanRoon

SeniorEditor:JanettaWillis

Editors:LynnRadford,MandyWolters-Savage,ElizabethYouens

Design:HesterdeGier

PETSInternational

partof(QGlobalpETS

IntermediumPublishersBVNewtonstraat3

1098GXAmsterdam(NL)

+31-33-4225833content@pets.nl

PETINDUSTRYHIGHLIGHTS

Don’tmissoutonkeyupdatesinthedynamicpetindustry!Subscribetoournewsletterat,orjustscanthisQRcodeforaneasysign-upprocess.

VAFOrestructuresinbidtodriveEUgrowth

CzechpetcarecompanyVAFOhasundergonea

restructuring,creatingthreedistinctcompanies:VAFO

Praha,responsibleforflagshipbrands;VAFOProduction,whichoverseesorganizationandfactories;andVAFO

PrivateLabels,whichwillalsomanagesmallerbrands.

Thedivisionwasplannedoverayear,primarilyaimingtoseparateproduction,operationsandcorebrands.

Itaccountsformorethan60%oftheCzechpetfoodmanufacturer’sbusiness.

“Themainpurposeistohavecompaniesfocusedontheirpureactivities.Itisbettertohaveagileandsmallerteams,”MilanBartoš,CEOofVAFOPraha,tellsGlobalPETS.

Therestructuringispartofitsgoaltodevelopand

strengthenitspresenceandmarketshareinkeylocationsincludingGermanyandFrance.By2029,VAFOaimsto

reachaturnoverexceeding€1billion($1.2B).

AccordingtoBartoš,thecompany’sflagshipbrands,

BritandCarnilove,aresuccessfulinCentralandEasternEuropeandtheNordiccountries,anditaimstomirrorthisperformanceacrosstherestofthecontinent.

Chinesee-commercegiantrelaunchesJoybuyinEurope

JD.comislaunchingJoybuyinEurope,revivingabrand

thatoperatedintheregionfrom2015to2021andreplacingonlineshoppingchannelOchama.

JoybuyrelaunchedfirstintheUK,followedbyFranceandGermany.Atlaunch,itoffersover2,000SKUsfrommorethan30global,localindependentandemergingbrands,withinventoryheldinwarehousesacrossEurope.

Inpetcare,Joybuy’sassortmentspansfood,treats,leashes,harnesses,collars,beds,crates,litterandtrainingpads,

aswellashealth,wellnessandgroomingproductsforcats,dogs,fishandsmallpets.

JD.com’sambitionisforJoybuytobethefirstdestinationconsumersthinkofwhenshoppingforpetproducts.

ZooRoyalpartnerswithMedivetinGermany

VeterinaryservicesproviderMedivetissettoopeninselectZooRoyaloutletsacrossGermanyoverthenextfewyears.

ThephysicalexpansionplanoftheformeronlineretailerwasannouncedinMarch2025,withafocusonurbanlocationsstartingin2026.

ThestrategicpartnershipbetweenZooRoyalandMedivethasbeentestedintwopilotstoresinthegreaterHamburgarea.“Thesuccessfulpilotlocationsalreadyconfirmhowwelltheinteractionbetweenthespecialiststoreandthe

veterinarypracticeworks.Wewillsoonbespreadingthisconceptnationwide,”theretailersaysinaLinkedInpost.

PETSINTERNATIONAL|MARCH2026

4

PETINDUSTRYHIGHLIGHTS

LatestdealsintheIberianpetspace

Spanishmultinationalconsumergoodsandpetfood

companyAgrolimenacquiredUSfreshdogfoodproducerOllieon6February.Thedealbooststhecompany’spet

portfolio,whichincludesNature’sVarietyintheUSand

AffinityPetcareinEurope.AccordingtoUSmedia,thedealvaluedthebrandatover$600million(€506M).

MeanwhileNuzoa,aleadingdistributorofanimalhealth

productsandservicesintheIberianpeninsula,acquired

Porto-basedAgrofauna,apetmedicineandfoodcompany,tostrengthenitsleadershipintheregion.

TheSpanishcompanysaysthatithasacquired17firmsinthepastfiveyears,ofwhichfiveareinPortugal.

GeneralMillsandJ.M.Smuckerrevealpetfoodstrategies

AccordingtoDanaMcNabb,GeneralMillsGroupPresident,NorthAmericaRetailandNorthAmericaPet,speakingat

theConsumerAnalystGroupofNewYorkconferencein

February,e-commerceisdriving“themajority”ofgrowthinthepetcategory,withthecompanyalsoseeingincreasingdemandforfunctionalingredients.

“We’reexpandingsupportbehindournewLifeProtectionFormula(LPF)salmoninnovation.We’vealsoexpanded

theassortmentonourLPFseniordogfoodline,”shesays.

Althoughthecatsegmentaccountsforonlyaround25%ofGeneralMills’petsales,TikiCat,acquiredinDecember2024,isdeliveringdouble-digitgrowth.

PurposefulingredientsarealsopartofJ.M.Smucker’s

strategy.AccordingtoCEOMarkSmucker,thecorporationisupdatingthepackagingofitspetbrand,Milk-Bone,to

highlightproteincontentandfunctionalattributes.Theseare“increasinglyimportantpurchasedrivers”.

J.M.Smuckerwillalsoincreaseitsofferingofpremiumsnacksandtreats,withlaunchesscheduledforMarch.

UniãoPetrevisescostsavingsestimates

UniãoPet,formedbythemergerofPetzandCobasiin

December2025,cutitsestimatesavingsfromR$330million($53.5M/€53.5M)projectedinAugust2024toR$200-R$260million($38.2M-$49.7M/€32.4M-€42M)asofJanuary.

Therevisionfollowedadetailedpost-mergerreviewofcosts,operationsandopportunitiesbyconsultingfirmMcKinsey&Company.

Thegroupisprioritizingfourgrowthdrivers:astronger

omnichannelstrategysupportedbysubscriptionprograms;storeexpansionandbroaderserviceofferings;cross-sellingandmicro-franchisingintoadditionalstates;anddeeper

penetrationofprivatelabelandproprietarybrands.Inaddition,Petzisintheearlystagesofofferinghealthcareplans.

Greencrossaimstoraise$460MinIPO

RetailerandveterinarychainoperatorGreencrosscould

returntotheAustralianSecuritiesExchange(ASX),asplansforaninitialpublicoffering(IPO)arecurrentlyunderway.

TPGCapital,theUS-basedprivateequityownerof

Greencross,isplanningtoraiseaboutA$700million

($460M/€420M)inthisinitialoffering,targetinga

valuationofA$4billion($2.6B/€2.4B),accordingtolocalmediareports.

Ifcompleted,thelistingwouldmarkthecompany’s

returntotheASXafteritsdelistingin2019,whenitwasacquiredbyTPGforA$675million($445M/€405M).

GreencrosswasofficiallylistedontheASXin2007.

In2023,thecompanyreceivedtwobuyoutoffers

fromhealthcaredistributorEBOSGroupandAustralianconglomerateWesfarmers,bothofwhichfellthrough.

PETSINTERNATIONAL|MARCH2026

5

PETINDUSTRYHIGHLIGHTS

Europeane-commercematureswithincreaseinregularonlineshoppers

Geopost’s2025E-ShopperBarometershowstheshareof

regularonlineshoppersinEuroperosefrom48%to52%

lastyear.Thesurveyrevealedthatshoppersbuyingonlineatleastonceamonthaccountfor89%ofpurchases.

Food,beveragesandgroceries,includingpetproducts,rankamongthemostpurchasedcategoriesonline.Some35%ofrespondentsbuytheseproductsonline,with32%doingsoweeklyand58%monthly.

ASeptemberNielsenIQpetcareanalysisreportsdouble-digitonlinegrowth,withitemssuchasbeddingand

repellentsshiftingonline.However82%ofpetcare

spendingcomesfromshoppersusingbothin-storeandonlinechannels.

Meanwhile,aLoopsurveyfromAugustfoundtheinternetisthemainchannelforbuyingpetfoodintheUK(39%ofdogownersand43%ofcatowners)andthesecondmostcommoninFrance(35%forboth).

Ziglytargetsexpansionwithnewpetcarecenters

IndianomnichannelpetcareplatformZiglyaimstodoublerevenueandexpandfrom40locationsto60petcare

centersbytheendofFY2026.

Toachievethisgoal,itis“openingalmosttwocenterseverymonth”,SaurabhJain,Zigly’snewCEOtellsGlobalPETS.

“Weareexpandingourfootprintacrossamixofmetroandhigh-potentialgrowthmarkets,”hesays.Thestoreswillbedistributedacross17citieswhereZiglycurrentlyoperates,aswellaseightothermunicipalities.

Theretailerplanstoimplementacity-clustermodel,withmultiplestoresinselectedcities,aspetcaredemandvariessignificantlyacrossmicro-markets.Theretailer’sgrowth

strategyisstronglyservices-led,withveterinarycareandgrooming“drivinghigherfrequencyandstickiercustomerrelationships”,Jainexplains.

Inflationsnapshot:JanuaryCPIdatarevealsmixedpicture

ThefirstConsumerPriceIndex(CPI)figuresfor2026revealthat

theaveragerateforpetsandrelatedproductsrose0.1%inJanuaryintheEU,thesamerateregisteredintheEurozone.Veterinaryandotherpetservicessawhigherincreases,at0.6%inboth.

IntheUK,pricesforbothpetproductsandveterinaryandotherservicesroseslightlyinJanuary,by0.1%fromDecember.

IntheUS,theCPIforpetfoodandtreatsincreased0.8%inJanuary,whilepurchasesofpets,petsuppliesandaccessoriesdecreasedby1%.Forthefirsttimeinthepastfewmonths,pet-relatedservices

registeredasmallerincreasethangoods,withgeneralservicesandvetservicesseeinga0.6%riseand0.5%riserespectively.

InCanada,petfoodandsuppliespricesjumped2.3%inJanuarycomparedtoDecember.InBrazil,petfoodincreasedat0.38%,whilehygieneserviceshadthehighestriseat1.1%.

PETSINTERNATIONAL|MARCH2026

6

PETINDUSTRYFACTFILE

DATAINSIGHT

78.3%

ofownersintheUKprefer

asimpleandreliable

GPStrackerfortheirdogor

catoveramultifunctional

model,accordingtoa

surveyfromtech

companyWeenect.

TOP3INVESTMENTS

IndianpetstartupSupertails

hasraised$30million(€25.8M)tostrengthenitsend-to-endpetcareecosystemandexpanditsservicestonewregions.

Marsisinvesting$185million(€159.3M)inapetfoodfactoryinKazakhstandesignedto

haveaproductioncapacityof100,000tonsperyear.

Ukrainianpetfoodmanufacturer

SuziriaGroupinvested€6.1million($7.22M)intoawetpetfood

productionfacilitywithacapacityofupto5,000tonsperyear.

NEWAPPOINTMENTS

Zoomalia

TheFrenchpete-commerceplayer

namedOlivierLéonardasnew

CEOshortlyafterbeingacquired

byHoldingNicole,whichoperates

theJMTLeRoyaumedes

Animauxretailchain.

Hill’s

ThepetbusinessofColgate-Palmolive

hasappointedAmaliaLondono

asExecutiveVicePresidentEndto

EndSupplyChainNorthAmerica.

PostHoldings

GregPearsonisthenewPresident

andCEOofPostConsumerBrands,

whichincludestheUSmanufacturer’s

petfoodbusinesses.

TOPWEBNEWS

JD.com

relaunchesinEurope

TheChinesee-commercegiantwilloperatetheJoybuyplatformintheEuropeanmarket.

LATESTNEWS

UnderstandingCanadian

petparents

Aspetownershipcontinuestogrowatasteadypace,householdsinthecountryareshowing

newpatternsofspending,careandbrandloyalty.

ChristineCarrière

President&CEOPetsCanada

AccordingtothesurveyGettingtoKnowPetOwners,deliveredbyNielsenIQforpetindustrybodyPets

Canada,justoverhalfofCanadianhouseholds(52%)currentlyhaveatleastonepet.Andmorethanhalfofthosehomeshavemultiplepets,withnearlyathird

caringformorethanonespecies.

Breakdownbyage

Whenlookingmorecloselyatagecategories,weseethatpetownershipamong25-34-year-oldsremainsstrong,at53%.Thisgroupalsohasthehighest

proportionofpeoplewhohaveneverownedapet.

Thatpointstocontinuedgrowthpotential,particularlyasyoungerhouseholdshoppersnavigaterenting,

urbanlivinganddelayedhomeownership,whilestillexpressingastronginterestinpets.

MidlifeCanadians(aged35-54)scoreslightlyhigher

oncurrentpetownership.Adultsaged35-44report

abovethetotalaverage,at53%,and45-54-year-oldsarethehighestover-indexedgroup,at58%.These

stagesoflifetendtooffergreaterhousingstability,

establishedroutines,growingfamiliesandthefinancialabilitytosupportpets–factorsthatcontinuetodriveownershiprates.

Roomforfurtherexpansion

Despitenearingretirementage,55-64-year-oldsalsoexceedthenorm,at56%.Incontrast,Canadiansaged65-74(46%)andthose75+(28%)showownership

decline,fallingunderthenationalaverage.Itis

importanttonotethesegroupsincludeexperiencedpetownerswhomaydownsize–oradjustpettypesandcareneeds–ratherthanleavepetownership

entirely,pointingtoopportunitiesinsenior-friendlyproductsandservices.

Takingawiderview,73%ofCanadianshaveownedapetatsomepointintheirlives.Overthepast15years,bothdogandcatownershiphaverisenconsistently,withdoghouseholdsgrowingslightlyfasterinrecentyears.

Lookingahead,thereiscertainlystillroomforgrowth.Nearly15%ofhouseholdsthathaveneverownedapetsaytheyareinterestedindoingsointhefuture,whichprovidesaprimeopportunityformarketexpansion.

Importanceofveterinaryadvice

Canadianpetownerslookingforadviceturntoamixoftrustedsources.Acrossallpetowners,veterinariansarethemosttrustedsource,with60%ofcatowners

and69%ofdogownersrelyingontheirguidancefordailycare.Asvirtualveterinaryservicesincreasetheirpresence,11%ofbothdogandcatownerssaytheyaccessthem.

Friendsandfamilyaregivenasthenextmostcommonsource,consultedbyroughlyone-thirdofdogandcatowners.Thisisfollowedbypetspecialtystorestaffat

20%.Digital-firstbehaviorincreasesforownersofbirds,reptiles,fishandsmallmammals.

Sourcesofinformation

Relianceonsourcesvariessignificantlybypetspecies.Forexample,fishownersrelymoreonpetstorestaff,

onlinediscussionforumsandinstructionalvideos,

whereasthosewithmorenichepetsseenextpage

Spendingtrendsinthepast12months

Decreasedsignificantly

4%

Stayed

about

thesame

52%

Source:GettingtoKnowPetOwners,PetsCanada-NIQ,July2025(n=4,567)

Decreasedsomewhat

7%

Increased

37%

PETSINTERNATIONAL|MARCH20269

RIPE

NewzealandMade

OVEN-BAKEDFOOD

Lowertemperaturebaking

supporteasierdigestion

Gentlyoven-baked

crunchysatisfyingtexture

oven-bakedkibble

greentripe

rusticbites

《

fnutripe.official

PETSINTERNATIONAL|MARCH202611

PetownershipinCanada*

(byhouseholddemographics)

100%

50%

0%

Independentsingles

Currentpet(s)inhome

Source:GettingtoKnowPetOwners,PetsCanada–NIQ,July2025(n=4,567)

*Percentagesmaynottotal100%duetorespondentswhoselected

,Prefernottoanswer,(representing1%orlessofthesample)

Neverownedapet(s)

Priorpet(s)inhome

Emptynestcouples

Establishedcouples

Seniorcouples

Seniorsingles

suchasreptiles,birdsorsmallmammalstendtoconsultawiderrangeofonlineresourcesandgroupchats,

rarelydependingonasinglesource.

Shoppingviasocialplatformsanddigitalresearch

isbecomingincreasinglyimportant,sothereisan

excitingopportunityforbusinessestocreateclear,

trustworthyguides,quickreferencetoolsandcurateddigitalresources.Thesecanhelpspecialtypetownersnavigatefragmentedinformationandmakemore

informeddecisionsabouttheirpets.

Expendituretrends

In2025,nearlyoneinfourCanadianpet-owning

householdsfeltnegativelyabouttheirfinances,

matchingthe2024data.Delvingdeeper,however,

revealsthatsmallmammalandreptileownersfelt

betteroffin2025thaninthepreviousyear,whilebirdownersfeltworse.

Amongallpetowners,37%saytheyhavespentmoreontheirpetsinthepastyear.Thelargestspending

increaseappearstobeamongdogandbirdowners,at40%,whilefishandsmallmammalownerssawthemostnotabledecreaseinspending,at16%.

Lookingtosavemoney

Allpethouseholdswereaskedaboutthemainways

theytrytosaveonexpenses.Asubstantialnumber

seemtolookfordeals,with38%stockinguponregular

brandswhentheyfindthemonsale.Othersfocusonvalueperunit,bybuyinglargersizesforbettervalue(30%),asawayofavoidingreducingconsumption.

Oneinfourpetconsumersusecoupons(25%),whichreflectsincreasedpricesensitivityandpromotion

engagement.Another20%nowonlybuytheessentials,sodiscretionaryitemsarethemostimpactedamong

thisgroup.Channelshiftingtomanagerisingcostsisalsoastrategyadoptedbypetowners,with16%switchingtothelowestpricedstores.

Value,sustainabilityandtraceability

Petownersareprioritizingvalue,leaningtowardprivatelabelandvaluebrands.Thismakesthosesegmentswellpositionedforcontinuedgrowth.FurtherNielsenIQ

marketresearchindicatesCanadiansarerefiningtheirspendingbylookingforbrandsthatwillfulfillaspecificneed,ratherthanstayingbrandloyal.Asaresult,48%

arebuyingmorebrandsacrossmorecategoriesthaneverbefore.

Sustainabilityisbecominganimportantfactorfor

Canadianpetowners,with52%sayingitinfluencestheirpetfoodpurchases.Thisisparticularlynotableamong

bird,fish,reptileandsmallmammalowners.Whilestill

asmallpartofthemarket,thepresenceofsustainable

productsisgrowingrapidly–reaching19%in2025,

accordingtoNielsenIQ.PetsCanadahasbeenseeing

thistrendfirst-handatitstradeevents.seenextpage

Nearly15%ofCanadianhouseholdsthathaveneverownedapetsaytheyare

interestedindoingsointhefuture.

Hotontheheelsofsustainabilityistraceability.Morethan50%ofpetownersrecognizethevalueoffoodtraceability,i.e.theyseemeritinbeingabletotraceaproductoringredientfromitsorigintotheirhomes.

Reptilepetowners,followedbybirdanddogowners,ratethesignificanceoftraceabilityas“veryimportant”intheirpetfoodchoices.Canadianpetfamiliesare

clearlyinterestedinknowingwhatisintheirpetfood,whereitcomesfromandhowitismade.

Tariffsboostlocalbrands

TheimpactofUStariffshasreinforcedtheimportanceofCanadian-madepetproductsformanyhouseholds.Evenbeforethetariffs,surveyresultsshowedthatthe

country’spetfamiliesvaluedomesticallyproduced

goods,thankstoacompetitivemarketandhigh-qualitylocalsuppliers.Today,70%ofpetownerssayCanadian-madeitemsareimportanttothem,and54%reportthattheyarenowbuyingmorelocallyproducedproducts.

Thereasonsareclear.Supportingthelocaleconomyisverymuchattheforefront(57%),buttrustingthe

qualityandsafetyofingredientsisalsoveryimportant

topetowners(34%).OtherreasonsincludereactingtoUStradepolicies,accessingfresherorlocallyproduceditems,benefitingfrombetterpricingandavailability,

andknowingpetsaregettingwell-sourcedproducts.

Dataprovidesopportunities

PetshavelongheldaspecialplaceinCanadianhomes,andtodaythatbondisstrongerandmorecomplexthanever.Asthepetpopulationcontinuestogrow,sodoesthepossibilityforthepetindustrytobetterunderstandwhotoday’spetownersare,whattheyvalueandhow

theycarefortheirbelovedcompanions.

Thelatestdataoffersaclearpictureoftheseevolvingrelationshipsandwhattheymeanforthefutureof

theCanadianpetmarket.Petfamiliesinthecountryaremakingintentionalchoices,seekingtrusted

advice,balancingspendingpressures,prioritizingsustainabilityandtraceability,andincreasingly

supportingnewbrands.

IntermsofinternationalinterestintheCanadian

market,PetsCanadahasobservedagrowingdemandforCanada-basedshowsfrommanufacturers

outsideofNorthAmerica.Forbusinessesacrossthepetindustry,thereisbotharesponsibilityandan

opportunity:tomeetpetownerswheretheyareandtocontinuetoinnovateinwaysthatsupportpets,

peopleandcommunities.◆

Top3reasonsforbuyingCanadianpetfoodandtreats

Tosupport

thelocal

economy

57%

Highertrust

inquality

andsafety

34%

Source:GettingtoKnowPetOwners,PetsCanada-NIQ,July2025(n=4,567)

Reaction

toUS

policies/tarifs

45%

PETSINTERNATIONAL|MARCH202612

PETSINTERNATIONAL|MARCH202613

LindaDrysdale,ChiefFinancialOfficer,PetValu

“Roughly15%ofourproducts

comedirectlyfromtheUS”

Astariffsandtradepressuresmount,theCanadian

petretailerisupdatingitssupplychaincapabilities

whileexpandingomnichannelofferings.

DavidPalaciosRubio

Editor-in-ChiefGlobalPETS

Withafootprintofmorethan860stores,PetValusitswithin5kmofoverthree-quartersofthecountry’s

households.Atthehelmofitsfinancialstrategyis

LindaDrysdale,anexecutivewithover25years’

experienceinstrategicfinancialplanning,auditandriskmanagementacrossCanada'sfinancialservicesandretailsectors.JoiningPetValu’sboardin2021,shesteppedintotheroleofCFOin2023.

Inthepastcoupleofyears,Drysdalehasweatheredeconomicheadwindswhileoverseeingomnichannelgrowthandamajorsupplychaintransformation

–includingarecentinvestmentthatexpandedthe

company’sSKUassortmentbymorethan30%.

ShesharesherinsightswithPETSInternationalon

value-drivenshoppers,theappealofCanadian-madebrands,theroleofpetspecialtyinafragmentedretailmarketandwhyruralcommunitiesrepresentthenextfrontierforPetValu’sgrowth.

WhatchallengesareCanadianretailersfacingintoday’smarket?

Nottoodissimilartoothergeographies,Canadian

householdshaveseentheirbudgetspressuredin

recentyearsinresponsetotheheightenedinflationandrisinginterestratesthatfollowedthepandemic.

Asaresult,consumersareincreasinglyseekingvalue

ineverythingtheybuy,includingpetcareproducts,

andretailershavehadtoadapt.seenextpage

Whileourcorecustomersappreciateotherelementsoftheirretailexperiencewithus,suchasgreatproducts

andpersonalcustomerservice,pricestillfactorsin,andsowe’vefurthersharpenedourpromotionalandloyaltyprogramstomeetthisneed.

Howarerecenttradeandtariffchangesimpactingconsumerbehavior?

Changesinthetradeenvironmenthavehadarelativelyimmaterialimpactontheproductswesell,giventhe

natureofthetariffsandourstrongstableoflocally

sourcedbrands.Buttradedisruptionshavelikely

increasedeconomicuncertainty,whichhasweighedonconsumerconfidenceandwillingnesstospend,particularlyindiscretionarycategories.

Hasthisaffectedyourday-to-dayoperations?

Giventheimmaterialeffectofrecentchangesinthe

foreigntradeenvironmentonourindustry,wehaven’tmadematerialchangestohowweoperate.Wehave

takentheopportunitytoensureclearvisibilityofwhereourexposuresmaybeanddiscussedcontinuityplanstoadaptifnecessary.We’vealwayshadaverystrong

loc